STA1010

[julie9300]

I read that it's 'recommended' for those doing life sciences, but how important is the course? I've already chosen to study MTH1020 and MTH1030 so I already pass the mathematics unit requirements, is it really necessary that I study STA1010?
Also with the units I've chosen already I won't have any room to study STA1010 since I already have 36 points of level-one units from the science faculty ("overall no more than 36 points of level-one units may be taken from either faculty.") But if STA1010 is really important, then I don't mind making some changes to my units.

[TrueTears]

sta1010 is a very diluted standard statistics course, if you complete mth1030 you should have more than enough mathematical ability to do sta1010

[alondouek]

I went to the course information day today at Monash, they noted that STA1010 is useful in areas such as biology for data and results analysis purposes.

If you're already doing the MTH subjects, you don't really need STA1010; you satisfy the Science Faculty's requirement for you to complete a study in an area of mathematics OR statistics.

[b^3]

sta1010 is a very diluted standard statistics course, if you complete mth1030 you should have more than enough mathematical ability to do sta1010

Just how diluted are we talking?

... I'm doing it because I needed to pick a set of elective units that fitted in the same semester...

[TrueTears]

diluted to the point of boring if you've already done (advanced) mth/or equivalent units. I mean you'll probably learn some new stuff but it won't be that rigorous nor intensely formal

[b^3]

diluted to the point of boring if you've already done (advanced) mth/or equivalent units. I mean you'll probably learn some new stuff but it won't be that rigorous nor intensely formal

So I can get away with putting minimal effort into the unit and cramming most of it at the end? Are we talking 'easy' or 'real easy-further easy'?

[julie9300]

sta1010 is a very diluted standard statistics course, if you complete mth1030 you should have more than enough mathematical ability to do sta1010

So i wouldn't be disadvantaged in any sort of way if I decide to go into research (that will ultimately deal with results and statistics in some way) after my studies?

[TrueTears]

So I can get away with putting minimal effort into the unit and cramming most of it at the end? Are we talking 'easy' or 'real easy-further easy'?

yeah definitely, not super walk in the park easy but definitely easy relative to other maths units

So i wouldn't be disadvantaged in any sort of way if I decide to go into research (that will ultimately deal with results and statistics in some way) after my studies?

no you won't be disadvantaged at all, however if you go into research you will definitely need more advanced statistics, sta1010 is very introductory. good statistics units include: mth2222, mth3230 and etc3400

[Gloamglozer]

Wow.  Monash has more choices with regards to statistics subjects.  One of the casualties of the model.

[slothpomba]

I read that it's 'recommended' for those doing life sciences, but how important is the course? I've already chosen to study MTH1020 and MTH1030 so I already pass the mathematics unit requirements, is it really necessary that I study STA1010?

Absolutely, categorically, no.

Maybe the math faculty is just looking for more students, i don't know.

Where did you read this? I'm interested in knowing.

A lot of things are recommended but in the end its up to your own logic about doing them. Learn all the requirements and you only need to fulfil those. Everything else thats recommended (even "Recommended orders" like taking a math subject in first year for science students, i'm leaving mine till now [3rd]) is up to you.

I'm in 3rd year and every one of my 2nd year science units have been life science. There hasn't been a time yet where i needed super advanced statistics. We did do some decently in depth analysis in Physiology but we used a statistics package called SPSS, you didn't need to know the math, you just needed to know how to use the software (which they taught you).

As far as i know, in life-sciences anyway, most of it isn't done pen and paper by equation or anything like that, you're just plugging stuff into software much like you would excel.

[julie9300]

Absolutely, categorically, no.

Maybe the math faculty is just looking for more students, i don't know.

Where did you read this? I'm interested in knowing.

A lot of things are recommended but in the end its up to your own logic about doing them. Learn all the requirements and you only need to fulfil those. Everything else thats recommended (even "Recommended orders" like taking a math subject in first year for science students, i'm leaving mine till now [3rd]) is up to you.

I'm in 3rd year and every one of my 2nd year science units have been life science. There hasn't been a time yet where i needed super advanced statistics. We did do some decently in depth analysis in Physiology but we used a statistics package called SPSS, you didn't need to know the math, you just needed to know how to use the software (which they taught you).

As far as i know, in life-sciences anyway, most of it isn't done pen and paper by equation or anything like that, you're just plugging stuff into software much like you would excel.

Thanks for the responses

http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/courses/0530.html
First dot point above the section 'Recommended program of study': "The statistics units SCI1020 (Introduction to statistical reasoning) and STA1010 (Statistical methods for science) are normally recommended for students planning to study areas where experimental design and data analysis skills are particularly important, such as the life sciences."

[slothpomba]

http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/courses/0530.html
First dot point above the section 'Recommended program of study': "The statistics units SCI1020 (Introduction to statistical reasoning) and STA1010 (Statistical methods for science) are normally recommended for students planning to study areas where experimental design and data analysis skills are particularly important, such as the life sciences."

Oh ok. Yeah, it's more a recommendation on which math unit you should take, rather than *that* math unit being absolutely essential.

Of course its *good* to have a decent stats background and you very well may enjoy math but its definitely not necessary.

SCI1020 and STA1010 are probably the easiest two of the bunch too. I'm not sure but i suspect people doing physic-ey type stuff might need higher level math and thats another reason these are recommended to us.